Mines and Mineral Statistics, 
25 
consists of I'Lcli black alluvium intermixed -vvitli LouldcrH over- 
lying tlie -wash-dirt, -u'hicli runs from G incdies to 2 feet 
deep. On the surface is a lieavy coating of long, tufty, sedgy 
grass, tlie roots of -which hold the soil very lirmly together. 
When tills is once cut through, the -waters of tlie creek tear 
away tlie lighter deposits below, and carry them down into 
the sluiee-boxes, wliero the heavy stream of water soon carries 
away every particle of alluvial matter. The advantage of 
this kind of woi*k must be manifest, as tlio race once formed 
only a comparatively small amount of labour is required for 
carrying on the work ; and with lialf a dozen men an acre 
a fortnight may bo completely sluiced away. The work must 
therefore he profitable even though the yield of gold was 
comparatively small ; as it happens however the ground is par- 
ticularly ricli. JScverul dishes of wash-dirt, taken at random from 
the undisturbed portion lying on the rock were panned out in 
my presence, through the courtesy of Mr. Gitchell, the managing 
director of the work, and in each instance the yield was some- 
where about half a ])ennyweight of gold. The same gentleman 
also informed me that some time back he washed out about an 
acre of the creek bed, and that the clearing up of the boxes gave 
him over 200 ounces of gold and about a tou of grey tin ore. He 
expects that will be about the average rate per acre. If it bo so 
this speculation Avill be a fine one indeed, and will be almost sure 
to lead to the formation of eopartueries of a similar kind to work 
localities of a like description. There arc hundreds of such 
jdaccs, more particularly iu the Southern District, to be found, 
■where miners have been unable to sirdc on account of the w'ater, 
and where there is plenty of fall for the construction of a tail 
race. In all these ])laces this system of work would be quite as 
applicable, and I believe the returns would be equally as good. 
The works at the Manuus Creek arc even more extensive than 
those at tlie Burra, and before they are completed will cost over 
£G,000. It is enterprise of this kind to which every legitimate 
encouragement should be given, as it is that only which is required 
to make oiir Gold Fields as ])roductivc as they should be. Xo 
quartz-reeling is being carried on iti the district. 
AV^ork in the Tumut District is of precisely the same character 
as in the Tumherumba Division, the work being all race-cutting 
and ground-sluicing, whilst one local company, the Great Britain, 
has commenced the cutting of an extensive tail-race to work their 
ground on the same ]3rinciplc as the Burra. There may pro- 
bably be some 200 or ilOO miners in this Division, but from their 
being so scattered about iu every gully and watercourse it is 
next to impossible to make any correct estimate of their number. 
Adelong has been the steadiest reefing district in Hew South 
AYales, having Icept up the supply of gold pretty regularly for 
